Adisa Abeeb Olalekan, a native of Ibadan, Oyo State, traveled down to Sokoto State two years ago to study Business Administration at Usmanu Danfodiyo University, UDUS. He wasn’t privileged to get the school accomodation and decided to stay in a private hostel in one of the school’s neighboring villages (particularly, Sharma village) for the period of his four years course.
Adisa Abeeb who is now in 200 level has begun to show his worries and lamentations over his house rent, but without staying in the room, due to the emergence of COVID-19 that led to the closure of all schools across the nation.
He had paid his house rent of forty-five thousand naira (45, 000) for the year 2020 before they were asked to vacate the school. With the hope of returning to the campus after a month, as contained in the FG circular, he couldn’t enjoy his rent until a month swerved nine.
“I have paid the rent of 45, 000 naira meant for the year 2020. It was not more than a month that I paid the money, they asked us to leave the school for a month, as directed by the Federal Government, as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
“My heart remains doleful, whenever I remember the payment. If I had known, I would not have paid the rent and if I knew we would be staying home for this long, and was possible for me, I would have retrieved my money from the landlord.” Abeeb lamented.
It has been over eight months schools across the country have been closed, partly because of the pandemic, and industrial action embarked by University lecturers (ASUU).
In the hope of a possible resumption, Abeeb and many other students of UDUS, living in private hostels, situated in the school, have however, worrisomely expressed their plights over what they might meet with their landlords, when they resume school.
Abeeb said he’s not looking forward to paying his landlord another house rent, if the school resumes. He claimed that since the apartments are situated in the school campus, he expects the school management (UDUS) to meet with the private hostels’ landlords and plead on behalf of the students, to be considerate and let the students enjoy the already paid money for the session.
“If the school resumes, my expectations are: the landlord should not ask us to pay another rent. As for me, I’m not looking forward to paying another money. The landlords should also be very considerate, by looking at the situation of the country and have mercy on us students.
“Also, we students should express our plights before the school management, to have a meeting with the landlords and landladies, plead on our behalf to let us complete the session we paid for before requesting for another house rent,” Abeeb melancholically expressed his expectations towards resumption.
Tales of Worries and Pains
Like Adisa Abeeb, another student of the institution, Hamid Fatimah who lives in another private hostel (Benjee Girls’ Hostel), had also paid the sum of eighty- thousand (80,000) naira to her landlord, through an agent (caretaker), before the closure of the schools.
With a voice lined with frustration and disappointment, Fatimah was not at all looking forward to paying another rent, if the school resumes. She said that she has not completed the academic session which she paid for.
“I and my room mates paid the sum of eighty thousand naira (80,000) to our landlord in the month of February. Barely three weeks to the payment, the school asked us to vacate the campus, being directed by the federal government and we all left, thinking of resumption after a month, not knowing we would stay at home, this long.”
While saying her expectations of the landlord, if the school resumes and they return to their apartment, Fatimah said she expects her landlord to allow them exhaust the months they earlier paid for before disturbing them of another rent.
“They should allow us to enjoy the payment for the months we spent at home before paying another rent. After all, we haven’t completed the academic session which we paid for, so, the landlord should consider our parents and understand the current situation of the country.
“Also, we expect the school management to intervene, by having meeting with them and plead to them on behalf of the students, since the apartments are also on campus,” Fateemah concluded.
Another student of the institution, Edoh Agipu Joy, a 100 level English Language student of UDUS, lives in a private hostel and had, with her two friends, paid the sum of seventy thousand naira (70, 000) for their rent before the closure of their varsity.
” I paid my rent with my other two friends, altogether making 70, 000 naira and it was paid to the caretaker in cash. Not long after a year’s payment, maybe three weeks, we were asked to vacate the campus because of COVID-19 pandemic. We were pained but we thought we wouldn’t be staying home more than a month until we witnessed the pregnant women’s delivery months,” Joy reeled out her ordeal.
Joy, whose weak tone of expressions explained how ill-fated she was, has planned against the resumption, as she remains ready to pay another rent, if her landlord requests.
She continued, “My expectations, regarding the rent, if the school resumes, is that we will definitely pay another rent because we were told that “Rent is per session”, if eventually, we resume in January, then, we are still going to pay another money. Although, it’s going to be a tough and unpleasant experience.
“I still wish the landlords and the caretakers could help us a bit. I strongly believe that they will never allow students exhaust their duration of stay in the apartments. They might only help, by reducing the rent to a level everybody can afford and we would definitely appreciate that.
“I have informed my parents already and my dad is prepared to give me another money for the rent.”
